(CNN) – Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin took a practical approach to this grassroots political movement Tuesday, telling Arkansas Republicans that Tea Party candidates will not win unless they join an established political party.

"Now the smart thing will be for independents who are such a part of this Tea Party movement to, I guess, kind of start picking a party," Palin said at an Arkansas GOP fundraising event Tuesday, according to CBS News.

"Which party reflects how that smaller, smarter government steps to be taken? Which party will best fit you? And then because the Tea Party movement is not a party, and we have a two-party system, they're going to have to pick a party and run one or the other: 'R' or 'D'."

The comments come 10 days after Palin addressed the so-called first ever Tea Party Convention in Nashville, where she praised the decentralized movement as consisting of "real people, not politicos, inside-the-beltway professionals."

"America is ready for another revolution and you are a part of this," Palin said at the Nashville speech.

soundoff(311 Responses)

GODZILLA1

Good advice – they will be ingested, just like the Populists were by the Bryan (Silver) Democrats in 1896, and they will cease to exist. When the Repulicans of Sarah Palin absorb them she will be the presidential nominee, and will take the party down into a shattering defeat along the lines of the Alf Landon debacle of 1936.

February 17, 2010 02:14 pm at 2:14 pm |

Matthew in Wisconsin

Awe... Doesn't Sarah look cute in that photo!

February 17, 2010 02:14 pm at 2:14 pm |

PA WEAVER

Sarah, I have some sad news for you – the GOP Party of NO is by no means smarter than the current administration and speaking of a smaller government – remember it was eight years of Republican leadership that put us in the financial and employment mess that we are in today. So Tea Partiers – I suggest that you all sit on a fence and become part of the Independent movement of this country and don't vote along party lines but instead vote for the best possible candidate (if you can find one).

February 17, 2010 02:14 pm at 2:14 pm |

Wayne from Greenville, TX

The time is running out on Caribou Barbie's 15 minutes of fame.....

February 17, 2010 02:15 pm at 2:15 pm |

sir magneto

Gee I wonder which party they are going to pick. You idiot.

February 17, 2010 02:15 pm at 2:15 pm |

Tom in FL

And which party do you think that will be? This whole thing has been a media promotion by Fox News on behalf of the Republican party, which will now magnanimously claim ownership of these 'disaffected' voters. They will forget that it was the Republicans who bankrupted the country and nearly brought us to complete ruin. All that matters is defeating that evil black man in the White House, who is an illegal immigrant and Muslim. It's the Republican 'Southern strategy' all over again.

February 17, 2010 02:16 pm at 2:16 pm |

Baby Boomer

She has got to be the dumbest woman on the planet. Doesn't she know that a large portion of independents started calling themselves that when they became too embarassed to call themselves Republicans. They vote that way, they just don't want to say it out loud. As for the Tea Partiers, they certainly aren't Democrats. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that. Like I said, she's an idiot...

February 17, 2010 02:17 pm at 2:17 pm |

Susan L.

Ah, but there's the rub, Sarah. If these so-called "Independents" choose a party they're not genuinely independent, are they? The truth of their "movement" comes out. They're just hard-core extreme right wingers who can't believe they lost. To them, it is ONLY okay if everything is controlled by Republicans. To them, the 8 years of the Bush administration - especially those 6 where the Republicans controlled all of Congress, too - were heaven. And that is a losing proposition in this nation. These are, like Sarah herself, dead-enders.

February 17, 2010 02:17 pm at 2:17 pm |

Vitamin Party

We're a two party system only in the respect that independents wouldn't be able to vote for her in the presidential primaries. Which is exactly what she needs support in.

"So please, declare yourself a republican so you can vote for me"

February 17, 2010 02:17 pm at 2:17 pm |

Ed, Santa Fe, NM

Palin is a moron with a fart for a brain.

February 17, 2010 02:17 pm at 2:17 pm |

EL

Palin Palin, why do CNN keep talking about this fool!!!!!!!!!!!!! she is money hungy and don't care about anyone but money!!!

February 17, 2010 02:18 pm at 2:18 pm |

An 8 year old ELEPHANT dung heap, does not transform into compost in just 1 year!

Which ever way the buck flows or the wind blows there is where you will find Bailin' Palin and her "words of wisdom"!

When the tea baggers pay her she is all for a third party when the Arkansas Reds pay her she is for a two party system.

There is a name for folks that forsake principles and provide services for a fee.

February 17, 2010 02:18 pm at 2:18 pm |

Susan

We are not a two party system, it has just been rammed down our throats that way, that if you don't vote Republican or Democrat you are throwing your vote away, a real political revolution would teach both parties a lesson and send a third party to office.
This woman is the biggest idiot I know, and makes me cringe to know I am a woman too...its like she is out there to prove good looking woman can't be smart, just manipulative, god I wish she would crawl back to whatever hole she came from.

February 17, 2010 02:19 pm at 2:19 pm |

chris24

what a moron.

if's she is ever elected to anything again,
we should all move to russia.

who actually puts a microphone in front of
this idiot?

February 17, 2010 02:19 pm at 2:19 pm |

Jeff in Virginia

CNN, why are you giving this hypocrite room to spew her bile?

She has no consistency. She has no credibility. She is a quitter.

Palin has no place in our national debate or on this website.

February 17, 2010 02:19 pm at 2:19 pm |

TamarS

no surprise – just another flip-flop by sarah...

February 17, 2010 02:19 pm at 2:19 pm |

JOHNSON oklahoma

Sarah gives a new meaning toMENTALLY CHALLENGED

February 17, 2010 02:19 pm at 2:19 pm |

denver

Quoth Palin: "...the Tea Party movement is not a party, and we have a two-party system, they're going to have to pick a party and run one or the other: 'R' or 'D'."

Amazing! Simply remarkable, Sarah. I bet all those vaguely libertarian revolutionaries who claimed to hate both parties will love this. The mask is off, fellas. The Tea Party is revealed for the GOP-funded Astroturfing campaign that it is and has always been. Looks like "change" is harder to come by than anyone thought– be they Right or Left.

February 17, 2010 02:20 pm at 2:20 pm |

Dale

Republicans say all the right things... small government, fiscal discipline. But I have yet to see them live up to what they say. The Republican Party has a serious credibility problem and Sara Palin is a good example. This vacuous intellect was nominated for VP by the Republican Party. If this is the best they have to offer, then "No thanks."

"Small government"? I don't think so there either. They just spend the money on different things and expand the government influence in different areas. Again, there is no credibility to their claim here.

I voted for Obama because he is contemplative which is referred to as "dithering" by Republicans. Perhaps a bit of dithering would have been appropriate beforew we invaded Iraq and spent trillions of dollars we don't have on a war we didn't need.

February 17, 2010 02:20 pm at 2:20 pm |

Vitamin Party

I would personally love to see her win the nomination just to watch her try and debate Obama.

I wonder if she would demand her $100,000 fee for each debate?

February 17, 2010 02:20 pm at 2:20 pm |

Mary

But you see, don't you, Sarah, that a real revolution would require that we do away with our current political parties, wouldn't it?

February 17, 2010 02:20 pm at 2:20 pm |

redisgreat

My only comment is that the Tea Party's next convention is in Las Vegas. 0.0 Really, Vegas, the place where excess is rewarded. Hmmmm... does the Tea Party stand for excess? I thought they were all about responsibility and lowering costs. Oh, wait, they are saying that if we can the government then we can all go to Vegas with the money we will have from not paying taxes. Got it. Of course the Vegas airport will be closed cause there are no federal dollars to keep it open. I know, I drive. But the Interstate will be unusable cause there is no federal money to keep them intact. SIGH.

February 17, 2010 02:20 pm at 2:20 pm |

Ted

Yes, please pick the party that encapsulates your IDEAS of small government and lower taxes. Because clearly you can't make a real difference, just pick a party! I think you know which one is better for you...*wink wink*

February 17, 2010 02:21 pm at 2:21 pm |

Sgt. Flagg T. McLiberty, Superpatriot

Hopefully this will start a much-needed backlash against this bimbo. Most people already see that she's a dim bulb who's in this only for the money. Hopefully now the Tea Partiers will see that all the talk of independence and patriotism was all bunk designed to make it easier for the GOP to swallow them.

February 17, 2010 02:21 pm at 2:21 pm |

Ben

Again, this woman shows herself to be ignorant. We don't have a 2 party system. We have a multi-party system. If she had faith in the beliefs of the Tea Party, she'd encourage its supporters to stick to their beliefs and not sell themselves out to one of the two existing parties.